Withania somnifera or Ashwagandha as we know it. Is part of the nightshade family. It is considered a rejuvenation adaptogenic herb used in treating debilitating conditions. The goal of adaptogenic herbs is to return your body back to a normal functioning state. We know that Ashwagandha is good for adrenal fatigue, meaning that if your body is producing too much cortisol it will help, however if your body does not produce enough it will also help with that.

They target specific stressors in your body and help regulate them.They will not cure the cause but are just helpers for the short term. Some recommendations are that it should not be used for more than 6 months as it loses its effectiveness but others say that it can be used long term.

Ashwagandha can be grown in the US where it does not frost or in a greenhouse. It likes sandy or rocky soil, and full or partial sun with moderately dry conditions.

An NIH study published in March of 2023 showed that Ashwagandha can be used to treat breast, prostate, lung, colon, melanoma,and blood cancers using the roots, stems and leaves.  

It not only can be used as a supportive herb during cancer treatments like radiation but kills cancer cells and heals internal organs that are damaged by radiation therapy. It has been proven effective against melanoma. It kills the melanoma, stops it from spreading and stops the reproduction of the cancer cells. It also acts like a chemotherapeutic agent against several different breast cancer types, along with actually preventing several types of breast cancers.

They showed that Ashwagandha improves the overall health of patients suffering with breast cancer. Intermittent fasting and an extract showed results in certain breast cancers and more importantly a very serious but most common form of brain cancer. It either starts in the brain or the spinal cord. 

Ashwagandha is able to cross the blood brain barrier and treat neurological diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons.In testing against Alzheiers it  reduced the proteins that cause memory loss and sometimes personality changes. It is a protector of your brain cells and with a nasal spray it showed to directly affect the cerebellum and cortex. After treating with the nasal spray damage done to the brain by buildup of plaque from a stroke or other means was improved. It also improved swelling in the brain. Just a 10 mg nasal spray reduced damage and brain cell death. In a study done on human embryonic nerve cells that are the roots of childhood  neuroblastoma it showed a large reduction in free radicals and oxidative stress in the cells.Testing was also done for aging symptoms in dogs for neurological disorders and they dogs showed improvement of an extract of Ashwagandha. It concluded that Ashwagnadha as a tincture form helped reduce the proteins that cause inflammatory diseases of the brain.

Testing of Ashwagandha on Parkinsons which is believed to be caused by several factors that cause damage to the dopamine neural pathways from the midbrain to the front brain showed significant improvement. Damage done to these pathways from inflammation and oxidative stress showed improvement in motor function and improved dopamine production. 

Huntington's, which is inherited by a defect in a gene and can cause oxidative stress that affects the cells ability to produce energy was arrested with the use of Ashwagandha. It will not cure it as it is a defect of a gene, it will however improve the quality of life. It also showed in mice that it did prolong life as it slows the degeneration of the cells. It also helped with weight loss,restored motor function and improved behavior. If you have a history of Huntingtons in your family this will be the herb to use. It will slow the progression and keep you active longer.

OCD can be treated with Ashwagandha with great success. It has proven to be as effective as prescription medications. It treats the brain and helps with serotonin levels that could be the cause of OCD. The best part is that it showed no signs of affecting motor function or coordination. A tincture and a tea were given to the test mice and no side effects were reported at all. 

It will also work for alcohol withdrawal. It minimized anxiety and seizures associated with chronic alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The tea of Ashwagandha was tested and proved to be a highly effective anti-inflammatory. It treats oxidative stress of the nervous system and can improve the production of white blood cells and bone marrow cells. It will kill free radicals that attack those systems. It also means that it can treat autoimmune diseases. It will treat joint pain from arthritis because it attacks the free radicals causing inflammation. Ashwagandha will also treat other inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular, pulmonary,and autoimmune diseases and the cell level.

Ashwagandha was tested for antibacterial properties to be used when conventional antibiotics have become ineffective.  It was tested against E. Coli, Salmonella, Staph, and bacteria that resembles staph, another that was responsible for 32,000 infections in hospitals, septicemia, neonatal meningitis and bacterial pneumonia. It treats these bacteria at the cell level and keeps them from reproducing. Making Ashwagandha a very effective antibacterial and antifungal herb.

It treats male infertility by boosting testosterone. Using it for three months will increase the sperm count and mobility. 

Ashwagandha will lower blood sugar,and help manage type 1 diabetes. It helps reduce insulin resistance and inflammation. It improves the lipid profile that controls cholesterol and weight.

It will restore oxidative balance and can improve overall cardiovascular health. It has been shown in low doses to restore cells that have been damaged by ischemic heart attacks. Some studies show that it could even restore them. More studies have to be done to prove this but initial studies showed a reversal in dead heart cells after heart attacks.

It helps with chronic sleep issues like insomnia and sleep deprivation. It was tested at 120 mg daily for 6 weeks and it improved the overall sleep quality of the subjects. It will help your body recover better, you will be more alert when you wake up with less daytime tiredness associated with sleep issues. It was specifically tested on subjects that were 65-80 years old and they showed marked improvement in falling asleep, staying asleep and being more alert when they woke up. It improved memory and energy of the same test subjects. It showed results against stress and will improve mental clarity.

The properties that treat cancer also work on your thyroid to treat hyperthyroidism. It is best to use at the onset of it as it did not show results in the advanced disease. It normalized the function of the thyroid and testing it showed it leveled the T3, T4 and TSH hormones.

Lastly it will increase muscle strength and recovery of muscle tissue. Athletes that were treated with Ashwagandha showed better recovery and faster improvement in muscle repair, improving the quality of life and ability to train sooner.

It has been tested to treat Covid 19. Its properties to repair muscle, repair cells, treat stress and anti-inflammatory lends itself to treating comorbidities that cause death from Covid. When the properties were isolated it showed antiviral properties that would specifically treat SAR-COV virus. More studies need to be done but this is a promising herb.

• Ashwagandha dosage for balancing testosterone and supporting male fertility: between 300 milligrams of root extract twice daily to 5,000 milligrams/day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for thyroid health/fighting hypothyroidism: 300 milligrams of root extract taken two to three times daily.
• Ashwagandha dosage for sleep: starting at 300 milligrams, taken one to two times per day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for fertility and hormonal balance: up to 5,000 milligrams/day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for arthritis symptoms and reducing inflammation: starting at 250–500 milligrams/day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for muscle growth: about 500–600 milligrams/day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for cognitive health and memory: about 300 milligrams, taken two to three times per day.
• Ashwagandha dosage for fighting effects of chemotherapy: about 2,000 milligrams/day.